SPRING 2003 L COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY December 2003 * Regional Bulletin 11 Auburn University * Clemson University * University of Georgia Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station * John Jensen, Interim Director Auburn University, Alabama Printed in cooperation with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University Contents Authors Introduction: Tips for Interpreting Vegetable Variety Performance Summer Squash Trials Include Patty Pan Types Experimental Sweet Corn Variety Displays Good Yield and High Quality Vidalia Onion Variety Trial, 2003 Market Standards Perform Well Among New Tomato Varieties__ Cantaloupe Experimental Varieties are Named. Watermelon and Cantaloupe Trials in Georgia, 2003. Seedless Watermelon Increases in Popularity Palm or Personal-Size Melon Variety Trial Seed Sources for Alabama Trials 28 Guidelines for Contributions to the Vegetable Variety Regional Bulletin Names of chemicals are mentioned only for describing the production practices used. This represents neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of these products. Information contained herein is available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department ofAgriculture. The Alabama Coopera- tive Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. 12 16 18 20 23 26 i Authors Randy Akridge Superintendent Brewton Agricultural Research Unit Brewton, AL (334) 867-3139 Ronnie Blackley County Extension Agent Toombs County Extension Office Courthouse Square Lyons, GA 30436 (912) 526-3101 George E. Boyhan Assistant Professor and Ext. Specialist Georgia Cooperative Extension Ser- vice, Statesboro, GA (912) 386-3442 Jason Burkett Superintendent, Horticulture Unit E.V. Smith Research Center Shorter, AL (334) 727-6159 Arnold Caylor Superintendent North Alabama Horticulture Research Center, Cullman, AL (256) 734-5820 M. Jefferson Cook County Extension Agent Tattnall County Extension Office P.O. Box 580 Reidsville, GA 30453 Joey Davis Vegetable Research Intern Edisto Research and Extension Center 64 Research Road Blacksville, SC 29817 Jonathan Davis Vegetable Research Intern Edisto Research and Extension Center 64 Research Road Blacksville, SC 29817 Tony Dawkins Superintendent Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center, Crossville, AL (256) 528-7133 Darbie Gransberry Professor and Extension Horticulturist Rural Development Center P.O. Box 1209 Tifton, GA 31793 (229) 386-3410 Greg Hardison County Extension Coordinator Montgomery County Extension Office P.O. Box 276 Mount Vernon, GA 30445 C. Randell Hill Research Station Superintendent 8163 Hwy 178 Lyons, GA 30436 Joe Kemble Associate Professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist Department of Horticulture Auburn University, AL (334) 844-3050 Heath Paradice County Extension Agent Treutlen County Extension Office 206 Third Street Soperton, GA 30457 Gilbert Miller Clemson Extension Service P. O. Box 299, Bamberg, SC 29003 GMLLR(@CLEMSON.EDU (803) 245-2661 J. Thad Paulk Agricultural Research Assistant III Department of Horticulture Coastal Plain Experiment Station Tifton, GA 31793-5401 Albert C. Purvis Professor Department of Horticulture Coastal Plain Experiment Station Tifton, GA 31793-5401 William M. Randle Professor Department of Horticulture University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602-7273 Anna Resurreccion Professor University of Georgia Griffin, GA 30223-1797 (770) 412-4736 Reid L. Torrance County Extension Coordinator Tattnall County Extension Office P.O. Box 580 Reidsville, GA 30453 Edgar Vinson, III Research Associate Department of Horticulture Auburn University, AL (334) 844-3041 Larry Wells Superintendent Wiregrass Research and Extension Center, Headland, AL (334) 693-2363 SPRING 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 5 Introduction: Tips for Interpreting Vegetable Variety Performance Edgar Vinson and Joe Kemble The spring 2003 variety trials regional bulletin is a compilation of vegetable variety information from Au- burn University, the University of Georgia, and Clemson University. In this bulletin, growers, extension special- ists, and seed companies will be able to see the perfor- mance of standard market varieties as well as their favor- ite varieties in other areas of the Southeast. The main purpose of vegetable variety evaluation, however, is to provide growers and seed retailers with practical information on varieties and to assist growers in selecting a good variety. Here are a few tips to get the most out of vegetable variety trials results. Open pollinated or hybrid varieties In general, hybrids (also referred to as FI) are earlier and produce a more uniform crop. Often they have im- proved disease, pest, or virus tolerance/resistance. Hy- brid varieties are often more expensive than open polli- nated varieties (OP), and seeds cannot be collected from one crop to plant the next. Despite the advantages hybrids offer, OP are still often planted in Alabama. Selecting a hy- brid variety is the first step toward earliness and quality. Yield potential Yields reported in variety trial results are extrapo- lated from small plots. Depending on the vegetable crop, plot sizes range between 100 to 500 square feet. Yields per acre are estimated by multiplying plot yields by cor- rective factors ranging from 100 to 1,000. Small errors are thus amplified, and estimated yields per acre may not be realistic. Therefore, locations cannot be compared by just looking at the range of yields actually reported. However, the relative differences in performance among varieties are realistic, and can be used to identify best-performing varieties. Statistical interpretation The coefficient of determination (R2), coefficient of variation (CV), and least significant difference (LSD, 5%) are reported for each test. These numbers are helpful in separating the differences due to small plots (sampling error) and true (but unknown) differences among entries. R2 ranges between 0 and 1. Values close to 1 suggest that the test was conducted under good conditions and most of the variability observed was mainly due to the effect of variety and replication. Random, uncontrolled errors were of lesser importance. CV is an expression of yield variability relative to yield mean. Low CVs are desirable (under 20%), but are not always achieved. There must be a minimum yield difference between two varieties before one can statistically conclude that one variety actually performs better than another. This is known as the least significant difference (LSD). When the difference in yield is less than the LSD value, one cannot conclude that there is any real difference between two varieties. For example, in the watermelon trial presented in this issue conducted at the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center, 'WX 260' yielded 37,573 pounds per acre, while 'Variety 710' and 'Fiesta' yielded 24,730 and 12,953 pounds per acre, respectively. The LSD value for this experiment was 18,995 pound per acre. Since there was less than a 18,995 pounds per acre difference be- tween 'WX 260' and 'Variety 710', there is no statistical difference between these two varieties. However, the yield difference between 'WX 260' and 'Fiesta' was 24,620 (i.e. greater than 18,995), indicating that there is a real difference between these two varieties. From a practical point of view, producers should place the most impor- tance on LSD values when interpreting results. Testing conditions AU vegetable variety trials are conducted under stan- dard, recommended commercial production practices. If the cropping system to be used is different from that used in the trials, the results of the trials may not apply. Information on soil type (Table 1), planting dates, fertilizer rates, and spray schedules is provided to help producers compare their own practices to the standard one used in the trials, and make relevant adjustments. 6 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Ratings of trials At each location, variety trials were rated on a I to 5 scale, based on weather conditions, fertilization, irriga- tion, pest pressure, and overall performance (Table 2). Results from trials with ratings of 2 and under are not reported. These numbers may be used to interpret differ- ences in performance from location to location. The over- all rating may be used to give more importance to the results of variety performance under good growing con- ditions. Where to get seeds Because seeds are alive, their performance and ger- mination rate depends on how old they are, where and how they were collected, and how they have been handled and stored. It is always preferable to get certified seeds from a reputable source, such as the ones listed in Seed Sources for Alabama Trials (p. 28). Several factors other than yield have to be consid- ered when choosing a vegetable variety from a variety trial report. The main factors are type, resistance and tol- erance to diseases, earliness, and, of course, availability and cost of seeds. It is always better to try two to three varieties on a small scale before making a large planting of a single variety. Vegetable trials on the Web For more vegetable variety information be sure to visit the vegetable varieties Web page at www.aces.edu/depart- ment/comveg/vegtrial/vegetabl.htm. This Web site de- scribes variety types, explains the ratings system, and pre- sents information about participating seed companies. TABLE 1. SOIL TYPES AT THE LOCATIONS OF THE ALABAMA TRIALS Location Water-holding Soil type capacity (in/in) Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center (Fairhope) 0.09 - 0.19 Malbis fine sandy loam Brewton Agricultural Research Unit (Brewton) 0.12 - 0.14 Benndale fine sandy loam Wiregrass Research and Extension Center (Headland) 0.14 - 0.15 Dothan sandy loam Lower Coastal Plain Substation (Camden) 0.13 - 0.15 Forkland fine sandy loam E.V. Smith Research Center, Horticultural Unit (Shorter) 0.15 - 0.17 Norfolk-orangeburg loamy sand Chilton Research and Extension Center (Clanton) 0.13 - 0.15 Luvernue sandy loam Upper Coastal Plain Agricultural Research Center (Winfield) 0.13 - 0.20 Savannah loam North Alabama Horticultural Research Center (Cullman) 0.16 - 0.20 Hartsells-Albertville fine sandy loam Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center (Crossville) 0.16 -0.18 Wynnville fine sandy loam TABLE 2. DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS Rating Weather Fertilizer Irrigation Pests Overall 5 Very Good Very Good Very Good None Excellent 4 Favorable Good Good Light Good 3 Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Tolerable Acceptable 2 Adverse Low Low Adverse Questionable 1 Destructive Very Low Insufficient Destructive Useless SPRING 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 7 ,Summer Squash Trials LInclude Patty Pan Types Joe Kemble, Edgar Vinson, Jason Burkett, and Tony Dawkins Summer squash variety trials were conducted at the E.V. Smith Research Center (EVSRC) in Shorter, Alabama, and the Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center (SMREC) in Crossville (Tables 1 and 2). Soils were fertilized according to the recommenda- tions of the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. Current production practices for summer squash can be found in Vegetable Crop Guidelines for the Southeast- ern United States (bulletin published by the North Caro- lina Vegetable Growers Association). At both locations, plants were set on plots that were 20 feet long with 5-foot spacing between rows and a within row spacing of 2 feet. Silver plastic mulch and drip irriga- tion were used. Squash were direct seeded on May 8 at EVSRC and April 30 at SMREC. At EVSRC, fertilization consisted of an application of calcium nitrate (15.5-0-0) and muriate of potash (0-0- TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, FRUIT TYPE, AND REI SELECTED SQUASH VARIETIES Variety Type Seed source Days to Disease harvest claims' ACX 204 FI A&C - - Butter Scallop Fl Novartis 48 - Dixie Fl Seminis 41 - Gentry Fl Novartis 43 - Medallion Fl A&C 53 - Patty Green Tint F1 Seminis 52 - Pic-N-Pic F1 Seedway 50 - Precious II Fl1 Harris 53 - Prelude II F1 Seminis 40 PM,WM Seneca Supreme 3 F1 Rupp 45 CMV,W Starship F1 Novartis 45 - Supersette 3 F1 Harris Moran - CMV,WI Sunburst Fl Novartis 50 - Sunray 3 Fl Seedway - CMV,PV Zephyr 3 Fl Johnny's Select 54 - ' Disease claims: PM = Powdery Mildew; CMV = Cucumber Mosi Yellow Mosaic Virus, WMV = Watermelon Mosaic Virus. 2 - = none; from seed catalogues. 3 Precocious variety. TABLE 1. RATINGS OF 2003 SUMMER SQUASH VARIETY TRIAL 1 Location EVSRC SMREC Weather 5 5 Fertility 5 5 Irrigation 5 5 Pests 5 5 Overall 5 5 'See introduction for a description of rating scales. 60) at rates of 400 pounds per acre and 200 pounds per acre respectively on April 13. Alternate injections of cal- cium nitrate and 20-20-20 were made twice weekly. At SMREC, preplant fertilization consisted of 400 pounds per acre of 5-20-20. Fertilization consisted of 60 pounds per acre of potassium nitrate and 6 pounds per acre of N as 20-20-20 and as calcium nitrate. LATIVE EARLINESS OF TE ERLNESS OF Squash were harvested three times per week be- Years tween June 16 and July 9 at evaluated EVSRC and between June 16 02,03 and July 11 at SMREC. 03 Squash were graded as mar- 94-96,98-00,03 ketable or nonmarketable 95-99,02,03 according to the United 96,02,03 States Standards for Grades 03 of Summer Squash (U.S. 99-03 Dept. Agr. G.P.O 1987-180- VZYMV 97-01,03 916:40730 AMS) (Tables 3 MV 94,97,98,03 and 4). 03 Neither the patty pan or MIV 94,96,03 yellow summer squash vari- 03 eties exhibited differences in 1,WMV 03 total yield at either location. 99,01-03 The patty pan type aic Virus; ZYMV = Zucchini 'Starship' had significantly higher yields at EVSRC. 8 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Among the yellow summer squash types, 'Prelude IF, a market standard, performed as well as 'Gentry', 'Medal- TABLE 3. EARLY PRODUCTION' OF SELECTED SUMMER SQUASH VARIETIES, 2003 Early marketable Variety Type 2 'yield lbs/ac E.V. Smith Research Center Starship P 2,700 Sunburst P 1,171 Patty Green Tint P 1,092 Butterscotch P 887 Gentry Y 1,992 Medallion Y 1,723 Prelude II Y 1,517 Precious Y 1,317 ACX 204 Y 1,193 Seneca Sun Y 1,175 Sunray Y 979 Zephyr Y 634 Dixie Y 608 Supersett Y 500 Pic-N-Pic Y 474 r1 0.50 CV 58 LSD 957 Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center Patty Green Tint P 1,234 Starship P 838 Sunburst P 691 Butterscotch P 403 Seneca Supreme y 1,957 Zephyr_ Y 1,405 ACX 204 Y 1,349 Supersette y 926 Medallion y 809 Precious y 686 Dixie y 579 Sunray y 399 Prelude II Y 3 62 Pic-N-Pic Y" Gentry y" r, 0.50 Cw 90 lion', 'Precious', 'ACX 204', and 'Seneca Supreme'. At SMREC, 'Seneca Supreme' and 'ACX 204' produced yields that were significantly higher than 'Prelude W. TABLE 4. TOTAL SEASON YIELD OF SELECTED SUMMER SQUASH VARIETIES, 2003 Total market- Individual Variety Type' able yield fruit weight lbs/ac lbs E.V. Smith Research Center Starship P 5,695 0.28 Patty Green Tint P 2,714 0.15 Sunburst P 2,580 0.30 Butterscotch P 1,687 0.14 Gentry y 4,824 0.13 Medallion y 3,639 0.29 Prelude II Y 3,148 0.34 Precious y 2,962 0.12 Sunray Y 2,159 0.13 ACX 204 Y 1,925 0.16 Seneca Supreme y 1,869 0.12 Pic -N-Pic y 1,793 0.11 Dixie y 1,591 0.13 Zephyr y 1,484 0.15 Supersette y 897 0.17 r 2 0.70 0.93 CV 38 14 'so 1,392 0.04 Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center Sunburst Starship Patty green Tint Butterscotch Seneca Supreme Supersette Zephyr Precious Medallion Sunray ACX 204 Dixie Pic-N-Pic Prelude II Gentry P P P P Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 9,8. 9,6( 8,7^ 4,9( 12,4( 12,14 10,0~ 9,8A- 9,6. 9,5( 9,34 9,0", 7,1( 7,1( 6,W~ CV LSD 5,66 56 0.44 60 0.47 76 0.52 52 0.31 68 0.55 04 0.54 80 0.47 20 0.34 24 0.44 05 0.60 67 0.37 70 0.53 59 0.46 03 0.38 86 0.36 0.20 0.30 53 35 15 0.22 SPRING 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 9 10-20 lbs >20-30 lbs >30 lbs 7 73 10 0 1 86 3 0 :8 72 0 0 7 81 11 1 7 84 8 0 1 67 21 1 4 52 42 1 4 70 16 0 4 62 23 1 4 59 37 0 .3 61 17 0 1 71 8 0 9 61 19 1 .4 72 3 0 .6 72 2 0 O0 60 20 0 2 68 0 0 7 63 0 0 7 80 4 0 1 69 0 0 2 68 21 0 8 76 15 2 8 55 26 0 .6 54 0 0 .5 72 2 0 O 83 7 0 7 59 14 0 o 78 3 0 5 69 6 0 5 71 4 0 5 62 3 0 8 39 33 0 'Description: 2N or diploid with seeds; 3N or triploid = without seeds. Fishers Proteced&AdjustedLSD (p: 0 . 0 5 ) SPRING 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 21 22 ALBAM IUTUA XEIMN TTO TABLE 3. WATERMELON FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS, 2003 VIDALIA ONION AND VEGETABLE RESEARCH CENTER, LYONS, GEORGIA Flesh Fruit Rind Soluble Fruit Variety color length Width thickness solids type in in in% Sunny ChaChaCha F, PX80309020 SSW 9905 Olympia (5031) WD-02-25 XP 4510759 Ole' Gold Strike Cooperstown Sweet Slice WX-207 SSW 9140 WT-02-26 Compodre Genesis F. Sweet Eat'n WX-266 Afternoon Delight FSW 9130 SSW 9150 WX-255 PX 11052889 Plantation Pride WD-02-23 Butterball WX-262 WD-02-28 WX-28 WD-02-29 8282 WX-261 cv Yellow Red Red Red Red Red Red Red Yellow Red Red Red Red Red Red Red Red Red Red Red Red Red Red Red Red Yellow Red Red Red Red Red Red 12.7 11.1 11.1 10.8 11.8 16.3 10.9 15.1 13.7 11.1 11.6 16.1 13.9 11.9 11.3 9.3 11.1 16.8 10.2 16.6 14.2 13.3 11.5 15.3 15.5 9.1 16.4 12.1 17.0 11.9 16.7 16.9 8.0 8.4 7.9 8.4 8.8 8.1 8.2 8.4 8.5 8.2 8.6 8.2 9.1 8.6 9.7 8.5 8.1 7.8 8.8 8.1 7.7 8.2 8.8 8.2 8.9 8.8 7.7 10.0 8.4 8.7 8.0 7.7 0.9 0.7 0.9 0.7 0.9 0.8 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.9 0.9 0.7 0.8 0.8 1.0 0.9 1.4 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.8 Fisher's Protected &AdjustedLSD (p <0.05) 11.1 10.9 10.6 10.6 10.6 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.4 10.3 10.3 10.1 10.1 10.0 10.0 10.0 9.8 9.7 9.7 9.7 9.7 9.5 9.5 9.4 9.3 9.3 9.3 9.2 8.9 8.9 8.8 8.6 9% 1.6 Allsweet, seedless Crimson Sweet, seedless Blocky Crimson Sweet Crimson Sweet, seedless Blocky Crimson Sweet, seedless Jubilee Blocky Crimson Sweet, seedless Allsweet Jubilee, Allsweet Blocky Crimson Sweet, seedless Crimson Sweet, seedless Jubilee Blocky Jubilee Crimson Sweet, seedless Crimson Sweet Crimson Sweet/Jubilee, seedless Allsweet Allsweet Crimson Sweet, seedless Allsweet Allsweet, light colored seed Allsweet Blocky Crimson Sweet, seedless Allsweet Jubilee Crimson Sweet, Seedless Allsweet Dark Crimson Sweet Allsweet, Jubilee, seedless Blocky Crimson Sweet Jubilee, seedless Allsweet, 22 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION SPRING 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 23 C1 Seedless Watermelon Increases in Popularity Joe Kemble, Edgar Vinson, Larry Wells, and Arnold Caylor Watermelon trials were conducted at the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center (WREC) in Headland, Ala- bama, and the North Alabama Horticulture Research Cen- ter (NAHRC) in Cullman (Tables 1 and 2). At both locations, watermelon varieties were direct seeded on bare ground with a 60-foot by 10-foot spacing and a within row spacing of 5 feet. At WREC, allsweet watermelon types were direct seeded onApril 7.At NAHRC, seedless watermelon transplants were set on May 15. Seed- less watermelon plants require the use of transplants rather than direct seeding because of the low germination rate of seedless watermelons. A seeded variety, 'Companion', was used as a pollinator. One pollinator was planted for every three seedless transplants to insure proper pollenation. Watermelons were grown on silver plastic mulch. At NAHRC, ammonium nitrate was applied preplant. Fertilization consisted of weekly injections of 6 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Fungicides were applied one week after planting and throughout harvest. Watermelons were harvested on July 10 and 22 at WREC andAugust 5 atNAHRC. Watermelons were graded according to the Watermelon Grader s Guide (Circular ANR-681 from the Alabama Cooperative Extension Sys- tem) and marketable yield was determined. Other useful information collected included sweetness, incidence of hollow heart, and rind thickness. Two melons from each plot were used to measure soluble solids (sweetness), hollow heart, and rind thickness. Sweetness was measured TABLE 1. RATINGS OF 2003 WATERMELON VARIETY TRIAL 1 Location WREC NAHRC Weather 5 5 Fertility 5 5 Irrigation 5 5 Pests 5 5 Overall 5 5 'See introduction for a description of rating scales. using a hand-held refractometer. Watermelons with soluble solids reading below 100 Brix do not taste sweet. Hollow heart is the measure of the fissure of space at the heart of the melon. Watermelons with excessive incidences of hol- low heart are not desirable. The rind thickness of a melon determines how melons will endure shipping. In the Allsweet trial at WREC, 'WX 260' produced the highest marketable yield (Table 3). Yield of'WX 260' was similar to 'Arriba!', 'WX 264', and 'Variety 710'. Of the four varieties, 'WX 260' produced the smallest melon. 'Stargazer', which has been a high yielding variety in past, produced the lowest yields in the test. Most varieties in the seedless trial at NAHRC pro- duced yields that were similar to the standard variety 'Tri- X-313' (Table 4). 'Seedless Sangria', the seedless coun- terpart of 'Sangria', was one of the top yielding varieties. 'Seedless Sangria' had a low incidence of hollow heart but soluble solids were not in the desirable range (>10%). TABLE 2. SEED SOURCE, FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS, AND RELATIVE EARLINESS OF SELECTED WATERMELON VARIETIES Variety Type 2 Seed Fruit Flesh Days to Disease Years source shape color harvest claims' evaluated Arriba! AS Hollar Oblong Red 85 FW 97-99,03 Carson AS Hollar Elongated Red 85 ANT,FW 03 Celebration AS Seedway Elongated Red 88 ANT,FW 03 Fiesta AS Seedway Blocky Red 88 ANT,FW 94,97-00,03 Sangria AS Seedway Elongated Red 87 ANT,FW 94,97,99,03 Star Gazer AS Seminis Elongated Red 85 ANT*,FW 98-01,03 Stars-N-Stripes AS Seminis Elongated Red 85 ANT*,FW* 97-00,03 continued SPRING 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 23 SPRIRIJill 24 ALBAM GIUTUA XEIMNTTO TABLE 2, CONTINUED. SEED SOURCE, FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS, AND RELATIVE EARLINESS OF SELECTED WATERMELON VARIETIES Variety Type' Seed Fruit Flesh Days to Disease Years source shape color harvest claims 2 evaluated Summer Flavor 790HQ AS A&C Elongated Red -3-02,03 (formerly ACX 5411) Variety 800 AS A&C Oblong Red 87 - 02,03 Variety 900 AS A&C Elongated Red 86 - 02,03 Variety 910 AS A&C Elongated Red 86 - 02,03 WX 260 AS Wi ihite Elongated Red - 03 WX 264 AS Willhite Elongated Red - 03 Variety 710 JU A&C Blocky Red 85 - 02,03 Constitution XXX Seedway Blocky Red 87 ANT,FW 02,03 Cooperstown XXX Seedway Round Red 85 - 03 Freedom XXX Sunseeds Blocky Red 87 FW* 02,03 King of Hearts XXX Seminis Blocky Red - - 03 Olympia XXX Seminis Blocky Red - - 03 Omega XXX Seminis Blocky Red 85 - 93 Revolution XXX Sunseeds Blocky Red 83 FW* 02,03 Seedless Sangria XXX Novartis Elongated Red 87 ANT,FW 03 (RWT8 108-UP) Sugarheart (8003) XXX ZemaimGedera/Sieger Blocky Red 85 -- 03 Summer Sweet 7177 HQ XXX A&C Blocky Red - -. 02,03 Summer Sweet 7167 XXX A&C Blocky Red- - 02,03 Summer Sweet 5244 XXX A&C Oblong Red 90 - 02,03 Summer Sweet 5544 XXX A&C Oblong Red 88 FW 03 Sweet Slice XXX Wilihite Round Red- - 03 Trillion (ACX257) XXX Harris Moran Oblong Red 90 - 03 Tri-X-313 XXX American Sun Melon Oblong Red- - 96-98,03 WX28 XXX Willhite Elongated Red- - 03 ' Type: AS = Allsweet; JU=Jubilee; XXX=Triploid (seedless). 2 Disease claims: ANT = Anthracnose; FW = Fusarium Wilt; * = Race 1 only. 3 - = not available from seed catalogues. TABLE 3. PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED DIPLOID WATERMELON VARIETIES, WIREGRASS RESEARCH AND. EXTENSION CENTER Marketable Marketable Individual Variety yield fruits fruit wt lbs/ac no/ac lbs WX 260 37,573 2,211 17 Arriba! 33,350 1,643 20 WX 264 31,476 1,160 24 Variety 710 24,730 1,088 21 Fiesta 12,953 628 20 Variety 910 12,651 798 16 Variety79HQ 12,557 761 16 Celebration 12,263 906 15 Carson 9,570 435 22 Variety 800 7,613 435 17 Stars N Stripes 7,602 471 19 Sangria 7,033 471 15 Variety 900 5,394 326 16 Stargazer 4,321 .338 13 ( .50 0.61 0.30 CV 83 58 33 LWD 18,995 710 8.3 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION24 SPRING 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 25 TABLE 4. PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED SEEDLESS WATERMELON VARIETIES, NORTH ALABAMA RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CENTER Marketable Marketable Individual Soluble Hollow Variety yield fruits fruit weight solids heart lbs/ac no/ac lbs brix in Revolution 63,767 3,176 21 10.08 1.13 Summer Sweet 5244 60,264 3,509 17 10.85 0.00 Summer Sweet 7177 HQ 57,037 3,146 18 10.75 0.63 Sweet Slice 53,875 3,055 18 11.19 0.75 Summer Sweet 5544 53,234 3,086 17 8.04 0.00 Summer Sweet 7176 52,354 3,086 17 9.99 0.00 Sugarheart 52,024 2,723 19 10.65 1.13 Olympia 51,622 2,753 19 9.28 1.13 Seedless Sangria 50,309 2,481 20 9.60 0.25 Constitution 48,132 3,237 15 9.38 0.25 Cooperstown 47,819 2,783 17 10.38 1.13 Omega 46,606 2,360 20 10.88 0.38 Freedom 45,826 2,269 21 10.75 0.13 Tri-X-313 43,575 2,602 17 10.75 0.00 Trillion 39,727 2,450 16 11.00 0.13 King of Hearts 35,275 2,148 16 10.08 1.00 WX28 33,991 1,724 18 11.24 1.00 S 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.20 CV 32 30 16 16 14 LsD 21,780 1,180 4 2 1 SPRING 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 25 26 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Palm or Personal-Size Melon Variety Trial Gilbert Miller, Joey Davis, and Jonathan Davis Palm, personal-size, or mini melons hit the market this year and have generated a lot of interest. Growers, buyers and brokers, produce stores, consumers, and re- searchers-all are interested. Several potential palm melon varieties are being in- troduced by fruit and vegetable seed companies. Al- though no criteria have been established to define a palm melon, many are of the opinion that a palm melon will need to be in the 4- to 8-pound range. Ultimately the consumer and market will establish the palm melon crite- ria. A palm melon demonstration variety trial was planted at Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville, South Carolina, during the spring of 2003. Thirteen vari- eties were planted. Variety names or numbers and corre- sponding seed companies are included in Table 1. The variety trial was grown on a Dolthan (DaB) soil with a medium water-holding capacity rated between 0.08 to 0.13 AWHC. Soil nutrient samples indicated very high phosphorus (145 pounds per acre), medium potassium (147 pounds per acre), medium calcium (679 pounds per acre) and high magnesium (157 pounds per acre). The Clemson fertility recommendation based on soil samples was 120 to 140 pounds per acre nitrogen (N), no phos- phorus, 120 pounds per acre potassium (K). On March 13, 40-0-40 pounds per acre of fertilizer was banded and incorporated. Plastic mulch and drip irrigation were applied imme- diately after fertilizer was incorporated. Fifty-four inch plastic mulch was used, giving a 30-inch bed top. Queen Gil drip tape rated at 0.66 gallons per minute per 100 feet was buried 2 inches beneath the bed surface. The trial plots were 22 feet long with plants spaced 1.5 feet apart in the row. Each plot contained 13 seedless palm melon plants. Syngenta's 'SP-I' pollinator was planted between the third and fourth seedless palm mel- ons. A wide row spacing of 12 foot on center was used to eliminate mixing of the varieties at harvest. A 10-foot buffer was established between each variety. Two repli- cations of each variety were planted. Seeds were planted in the greenhouse on March 27 and transplanted to the field on April 23. Both pollinator and seedless were planted at the same time in the field. To allow for consistent and uniform water applica- tion, an automated irrigation system was employed. The program called for three water cycles per day at 56 min- utes per cycle. Daily water application was to equal 3,880 gallons per acre. In 2002 the total rainfall for the growing season was 6.05 inches. In 2003 the total rainfall for the growing season totaled more than 30 inches. The drip system was used primarily to supply the daily plant nutri- ent needs. A fertigation program was initiated May 2, nine days after transplanting. The liquid fertilizer, 7-0-7 was used for fertigation. Nutrients were injected during the after- noon irrigation cycle. The fertigation schedule started with a daily dose of 1 pound N and K per acre and gradu- ally increased to 2 pounds N and K per acre per day during fruit set. Shortly before harvest, fertigation was reduced to 1.5 pounds N and K per acre per day. Total nutrients applied for the entire season were approximately 160 nitrogen, 0 phosphorous, 160 potassium. The row middles were cultivated once and Strategy at 3 pints per acre was applied for weed control on May 9. TABLE 1. CULTIVAR AND SEED COMPANY Cultivar Seed company 620 Sutter 681 Sutter 8905 Zeraim Gedera 8907 Zeraim Gedera Valdora Sun Seeds SR 8101 Sun Seeds SR 8102 Sun Seeds SR 8103 Sun Seeds SR 8035 Sun Seeds SW 8002 Southwestern RWT 8149 Rogers/Dulcinea Precious Petite Rogers/Dulcinea Petite Perfection Rogers/Dulcinea ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 26 ! ;, r,.. ''3. r ' : " __ .;, . ", ' r ._ . _ " t .- "L \ _ - .\ ti i t J SPRING 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 27 Fungicide applications were made beginning May TABLE 2. YIELD EVL 9. Due to the extremely wet Cultivar Avg. brix year fungicide applications were made at least once and 620 10.98 sometimes twice per week. 681 11.16 Following two initial appli- 8905 9.79 cations of Bravo, alternate 8907 11.37 applications of the fungi- Valdora 10.33 cides Quadris and Dithane 8101 12.00 DF plus Nova were made. 8102 11.00 Squash bugs were a prob- 8035 10.83 lem early in the season and 8002 11.41 were controlled with RWT 8149 12.08 Pounce. Precious Petite 11.30 The palm melon variety Petite Perfection 11.62 trial was harvested four times: the first was July 1 [69 days after field planting (DAP)], the second harvest was July 7 (75 DAP), the third harvest was July 14 (82 DAP), and the fourth harvest was July 17 (85 DAP). The bulk of the melons were harvested on the first three harvest dates. At harvest each fruit was weighed and a representa- tive sample was taken of each cultivar to determinerind thickness, soluble solids, hollow heart, black and brown seed, and general flesh quality.The total yield, brix and size evaluations are included in Table 2. Table 3 contains the average weight of each cultivar for all four harvests. ATION OF PALM OR PERSONAL-SIZE MELON VARIETIES Fruit weight (pounds)- Yield Yield % < 6 %6-8 % > 8 lbs/ac no/ac 3.30 9.48 87.22 30,979 3,061 5.76 16.17 78.07 80,969 8,181 64.08 35.92 0 53,450 10,000 5.54 26.19 58.91 37,551 4,693 9.38 37.54 53.06 43,311 5,051 14.40 60.97 24.60 45,000 6,341 14.06 60.17 25.67 90,583 12,916 26.40 73.60 0 59,785 9,642 61.92 33.68 4.38 38,163 7,142 24.86 70.34 4.80 41,609 6,431 92.70 7.30 0 43,700 9,000 94.28 5.72 0 29,804 7,073 56.30 40.96 2.74 40,378 7,297 TABLE 3. AVERAGE WEIGHTS FOR FOUR HARVESTS OF PALM OR PERSONAL-SIZE MELON VARIETIES Cultivar Precious Petite 8149 8035 8905 Petite Perfection 8103 8102 8002 8101 8907 Valdora 620 618 Total weight weight 122.2 87.4 198.4 207.7 447.8 272.2 256.8 279.0 360.5 349.8 408.6 234.6 403.2 Number of melons 29 18 40 39 84 43 40 43 54 48 49 24 39 Average weight 4.21 4.85 4.96 5.32 5.33 6.33 6.42 6.48 6.67 7.28 8.33 9.77 10.33 ,,r~lL SPRING 2003 COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIALS 27 28 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Seed Sources Seeds donated by the following: Abbott and Cobb, Inc. To order: (800)-345-SEED In TX: (800) 227-8177 Tech Rep: Russ Becham 4517 Tilman BluffRoad Valdosta, GA3 1602 Fax: (912) 249-8135 Johnny's Select Seeds To order: (207) 437-4395 Tech. Rep: Steve Woodward 955 Benton Ave Winslow, ME 04901 Ph: (207) 861-3900 Email: info@johnnyseeds.com Seedway To order: (800) 952-7333 Tech. Rep: James J. Pullin 1225 Zeager Rd. Elizabethtown, PA 17022 Ph: (717) 367-1075 Fax: (717) 367-0387 E-mail: info@seedway.com Siegers Seed Company 13031 Reflections Drive Holland, MI 49424 Fax: (616) 994-0333 Sunseeds Richard Wojciak 12214 Lacewood Lane Wellington, Florida 33414-4983 Phone: (561) 791-9061 Fax: (561) 798-4915 Mobile: (561) 371-2023 E-mail: richard~wojciak~smeeds.com Willhite To order. (800) 828-1840 Tech Rep: Don Dobbs P.O. Box 23 Poolville, TX 76487 Fax: (817) 599-5843 Other seed sources: BHN 1310 McGeeAvenue Berkeley, CA 94703 Phone: (510) 526-4704 Email: mail@berkeleyhortcom Harris Moran P.O. Box 4938 Modesto, CA 95352 (209) 579-7333 (209) 527-8684 Harris Seeds To order: (800) 544-7938 PO. Box22960 60 Saginow Dr. Rochester, NY 14692-2960 Hollar To order: (719) 254-7411 P.O. Box 106 Rocky Ford, CO 81067-0106 Ph: (719) 254-7411 Fax: (719) 254-3539 Website: www.hollarseeds.com Rupp Seeds To order: (800)700-1199 17919 County Road B Waseon, OH 43567 Sandoz Rogers/Novartis To order: (912) 560-1863 Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Inc Tech Rep: Rusty Autry 2221 North Park Ave. TiftonGA 3 l796 Ph: (229) 386-0750 Tifton Seed Distribution Center Tech. Rep: Van Lindsey Ph: (912) 382-1815 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION28 Guidelines for Contributions to the Vegetable Variety Regional Bulletin Vegetable variety evaluation and selection is an essential part of production horticulture. The vegetable variety regional bulletin is intended to report results of variety trials conducted by research institutions in the Southeast in a timely manner. Its intended audience includes growers, research/extension personnel, and members of the seed industry. Timeliness and rapid turnaround are essential to better serve our audience. Hence, two bulletins are printed each year: one in November with results from spring crops, and another one in April with results from summer and fall crops. It is essential that trial results are available before variety decisions for the next growing season are made. Here are a few useful guidelines to speed up the publication process for the next regional bulletin (fall 2003). When: March 26, 2004 Deadline for fall 2003 variety trial report submissions. What: Results pertaining to variety evaluation in a broad sense. This includes field performance, quality evaluation, and disease resistance. Here are a few tips: * Follow the format used in the pervious 10 regional bulletins. * Include author's complete mailing address, e-mail address, and phone num- ber. * Express yields on a per acre basis or in typical measures used for the crop (i.e., number of 40 pound bushels per acre). * Follow your own unit's internal review process. Contributions will be ed- ited, but not formally reviewed. How: Send a disk and hard copy to: Edgar Vinson or Joe Kemble Department of Horticulture 101 Funchess Hall Auburn University, AL 36849-5408 Or send e-mail to: vinsoed@auburn.edu, or kembljm@auburn.edu 7 6 5 y 4 3 2 CLEMSON UNIVERSITY 1. Edisto Research and Education Center, Blackville, SC UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA 2. Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center, Lyons, GA AUBURN UNIVERSITY 3. Wiregrass Research and Extension Center, Headland, AL 4. BrewtonAgricultural Research Unit, Brewton, AL 5. E.V. Smith Research Center, Shorter, AL 6. Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center, Crossville, AL 7. North Alabama Horticulture Research Center, Cullman, AL _ _